From a TCM perspective, nourishing yourself with a variety of herbal soups is key to supporting a full and balanced recovery after childbirth. Alongside these traditional remedies, focus on foods rich in protein, iron, calcium, and healthy carbohydrates. Eating smaller, more frequent meals can also ease digestion and improve nutrient absorption, helping your body rebuild strength, step by step.

Foods to avoid are typically ‘cold’ or damp in nature, which can slow healing and weaken digestion, while foods to eat are ‘warm’ and nourishing, helping to restore Qi, build blood and support recovery.

Herbal Soups

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, soups are more than comfort food, they are medicine in a bowl. Slow-simmered with carefully chosen herbs, they deliver warmth and nourishment in a form that is gentle on digestion and deeply restorative for the body. For new mothers, whose energy (Qi), blood, and essence (Jing) are depleted after birth, herbal soups are considered essential to a healthy confinement.

Each stage of postpartum recovery brings different needs. This is why each soup is staged-based: the herbs are not random but chosen to match how the body naturally recovers. 

Practical Tip 1: Boil soups fresh from dried herbs rather than relying on pre-boiled packaged versions. In TCM, freshness is believed to carry Qi, the vital life force that nourishes the body most effectively. Freshly boiled soups allow herbs to release their full therapeutic properties. By contrast, pre-boiled packaged soups may lose potency over time: the Qi diminishes and nutrients break down.

Practical Tip 2: For confinement, always use red dates without the seed. The flesh of the red date is sweet and gently warming, ideal for postpartum recovery. The seed, however, is considered “fiery” or overly “heaty.” When boiled, it can disrupt the gentle, balanced warmth that the soup or tea is meant to provide.

Supportive Soup Herbs for Each Stage of Recovery

Stage 1 (Days 1-10)

• Rice Paper Pith (Tong Cao, 通草): Promotes breast milk flow.
• Astragalus Root (Huang Qi, 黄芪): Boosts Qi and immunity.
• Codonopsis Root (Dang Shen, 党参): Supports gentle energy replenishment and healthy digestion.
• Chinese Angelica Root (Dang Gui, 当归):Helps nourish the blood and support uterus health.
• Honey Licorice Root (甘草, Gan Cao): Harmonises digestion.

Stage 2 (Days 11-20)

• Chinese Yam (淮山, Hui Shan):  Strengthens digestion.
• Codonopsis Root (党参, Dang Shen): Boosts Qi and digestion.
• Lotus Seed (莲子, Lian Zi): Calms and strengthens digestion.
• Eucommia Bark (杜仲, Du Zhong): Supports liver, kidneys, bones, tendons.
• Morinda (巴戟天, Ba Ji Tian): Boosts kidney vitality.
• Achyranthes Root (牛膝, Niu Xi): Supports healthy circulation and strengthens tendons and joints.
• Prepared Rehmannia (熟地黄, Shu Di Huang): Deeply nourishes blood and yin.

Stage 3 (Days 21-30)

• Poria (茯苓, Fu Ling): Reduces dampness, calms the mind.
• Fleeceflower Root (何首乌, He Shou Wu): Supports blood, hair, and longevity.
• Black Beans (黑豆, Hei Dou): Strenghtens kidneys and support joint health.
• Ligusticum (川芎, Chuan Xiong): Invigorates blood, improves circulation to the brain.
• Dahurian Angelica Root (白芷, Bai Zhi): Promotes circulation, dispels “wind.”

Explore Golden Month's Confinement Soup Packages for pre-measured and expertly balanced herbal soup blends.

Herbal Teas

Alongside soups, teas are a daily ritual in confinement. In TCM, red date and longan teas help to restore balance by supporting digestion, calming the spirit, and replenishing blood and fluids. It is also used to used to support healthy milk flow.

Unlike soups, which are often taken once or twice a day, teas can be enjoyed steadily throughout the day to keep the body warm, hydrated, and nourished.

Supportive Tea Herbs

• Red Dates (红枣, Hong Zao): Tonifies Qi and blood, nourishes the spleen and stomach, and improves digestion and energy.
• Dried Longan (龙眼肉, Long Yan Rou): Nourishes blood, calms the mind, and supports sleep and emotional well-being.
• Codonopsis Root (党参, Dang Shen): Helps blood production and supports digestion.
• Astragalus (黄芪, Huang Qi): Strengthens Qi, boosts immunity, and tonifies the spleen.
• Black Dates (黑枣, Hei Zao): Warms the body, strengthens digestion, and supports the spleen.
• Preserved Date (蜜枣, Mi Zao): Harmonises formulas; sweet and warming.
• Wolfberries (枸杞子, Gou Qi Zi): Replenishes vital essence, nourishes the liver and kidneys, and boosts eye health.
• Ginger (生姜, Sheng Jiang): Warms the stomach, dispels cold, aids digestion, improves circulation, and reduces nausea.

Explore Golden Month's Lactation Tea Packages for premium grade 1 herbal blends that supports healthy milk flow.

Confinement Meals

Food is the heart of postpartum recovery.  Confinement meals are built around warmth, softness, and nourishment: slow-cooked proteins, rich broths, iron-dense greens, and grains that are easy to digest.

The focus is on steady energy, restoring blood, and supporting milk flow, while avoiding foods that are cold, raw, or hard on digestion.

Rather than dieting or restricting, confinement meals encourage small, frequent portions of warm, comforting food that rebuild strength gradually. 

Top Confinement Foods

• Ginger: Warms the body, aids digestion, and dispels “wind”. Used in nearly every confinement dish, from soups to stir-fries.
• Sesame Oil: Adds warmth, promotes circulation, and supports joint health. Its healthy fats provide lasting energy.
• Brown Rice & Millet: Gentle on digestion and rich in fibre and B vitamins. They support gut health and provide steady energy.
• Black Chicken (Chinese Silkie): High in antioxidants and prized for its medicinal value. Nourishes blood, strengthens the body, and supports immunity.
• Wood Ear Mushroom: Rich in iron and supports healthy circulation. Traditionally used to clear the blood and reduce clotting issues.
• Black Sesame Seeds: Packed with calcium, iron, and healthy fats. Help rebuild blood, strengthen bones, and support hair, skin, and overall vitality.

Explore Golden Month's Confinement Meal Delivery.